Enjoyed this fourth installment of the Secret Staircase Mysteries series. All of the regular characters are back and solving a seemingly impossible locked room mystery.

Although I did figure out the culprit, I didn't know the means and motive, so I was interested to keep reading to figure it out. There are a large number of characters and I think the book will be much more enjoyable if you read the series in order so you know who's who and all of their connections. That said, the mystery itself stands alone so it's intriguing in its own right.

This novel has a murder, a disappearing and reappearing body, and no apparent way for the murder to take place and the body to be moved.

I listened to this book partially as an audiobook, and the narrator Soneela Nankani has been the same throughout the series, so she knows these characters as well as the reader at this point and does a great job with the voices and inflections.

If you're looking for a great series focusing on books, mysteries, and secrets, then definitely give this one a try.

Another fun adventure with Tempest and her friends. I loved the locked room aspect of this mystery and the clever solutions they came up with to solve the case. I was a little annoyed at all the emotional outbursts, which might have been fitting as they worked through the solution, but they were constant and took me out of the story with their childishness. Other than that, I loved this newest installment in the series and look forward to more.

Thank you so much Net Galley for the advanced audio version of THE LIBRARY GAME by Gigi Pandian. This novel was part of The Secret Staircase series and was excellent. It can be read as a stand-alone, though the previous mysteries that the group has worked on are briefly mentioned in this book. I thought that the interaction between the character was well written and fairly easy to follow. This was a locked room mystery, and as mentioned in the book the characters all enjoyed mysteries, particularly that type and frequently mentioned authors who frequently wrote in that genre. I look forward to reading other books in this series as well as other novels mentioned. I liked the narrator as well since they were easy to listen to and helped make the novel easy to understand.

Gigi Pandian is another new author for me. This book was the perfect culinary cozy, with a murder mystery dinner as the backdrop.

This is book 4 in The Secret Staircase series but I never felt I wasn’t in touch with Tempest and the other characters. Tempest is tough and smart and very likable. I loved that she is a contractor. There were many characters I enjoyed in this book. And I got to know them quickly with how well Pandian showed their depth and involved them in the story.

The mystery is exciting and the twists are well done. With every turn of the page and toward the end, I was thinking to myself who the murder was and why. The seeds planted and hints along the were done well. I really enjoyed the fast paced plot and short chapters. It kept me wanting more.

The audio narrator was great. Soneela Nankini did an excellent job with the variety of accents. There were so many! From Scottish to Indian, the tone and expression was well done.

I’m excited to read more books from this author!

I received a NetGalley approval for the ALC. Huge thank you to the publisher. All views are my own.

Amateur detective? Check. Furry animal sidekick? Check! Yummy food? Check and check!

This fourth installment of Secret Staircase Mysteries is a delightful cozy mystery featuring a fun cast of characters. This locked room murder had everything I wanted it to, including several different suspects, wrong turns, a little supernatural tease, and an ending I didn't figure out.

As a person who loves magic (the Houdini kind of magic in this case) I love that the main character, Tempest, is a stage magician by her training. Not only is it a unique career but it also lends itself to Tempest and her friends' ability to solve a tricky mystery. Tempest is a great main character who shines brightly and also shines her light on everyone around her.

I loved the setting for this book! It takes place in an old fairy-tale-style house that is being turned into a classic mystery library, and really, it doesn't get better than that for me. Until, of course, it does! Part of the house includes an escape room that uses famous mystery books as clues. While it is a short part of the story, that same bookish energy permeates the story as a whole, and it was a blast!

My own drawback with the story was that a few of the explanations for characters' behavior were a little lackluster. Weak motives to do rather big things. But it didn't draw too much disappointment in the story as a whole.

As it typically goes with a series like this, bits of history from past books are thrown in to fill in any new readers so that the book can be read out of order (as was the case for me) and it totally works. There is certainly something to be gained by reading from the beginning especially as far as character development goes, but I enjoyed this one all on its own and will still go back and read the first three books!

I think I'm over this series. The people are getting stupider and the mysteries are getting more convoluted as the author tries too hard to stick to her "impossible mystery" theme. There was way too much eye-rolling for me to stick with this series. The whole thing when they were "stuck" in the escape room and freaking out about possible poison on the window. It was all so over the top and unbelievable. It's really disappointing for me because I loved book two so much, and 3 and 4 have been total let downs.

I am such a fan of cozy murder mysteries with fairly low stakes and a pretty good cast of character. Now this is my first book to read in this series, but I do not think they need to be read in any particular order. As with many cozy mysteries, I feel it stands independently though there are probably references to other cases and mysteries from the past which I did not pick up on but also didn't feel lost in this story either.

Tempest and her "Scooby Doo" gang must figure out what happened to one of the actors hired to perform in a murder mystery dinner, actually ends up murdered at a dress rehearsal. The circumstances are strange as tempest and her friends try to put the pieces together and solve the mystery before the blame falls on one of them.

I was engaged and enjoyed running around with the characters, eating cookies with the grandpa and accusing crotchety neighbors. It's not perfect, but it's a cozy mystery and they rarely are perfect. However, after reading this one, I do believe I will be diving into the others of the series and looking forward to see if we get any more. I would love to have a secret staircase, hidden room, or passage way in my house. So since I can't seem to have them in real life, I will live vicariously through the books where they are built.

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillan.audio and @gigipandian for this audio ARC.

The Library Game is the fourth book in A Secret Staircase Novel series. While the books can be standalone, I could definitely tell I was missing back story pieces that were referenced but not explained. I'll likely go back and read the other books.
Tempest Raj and her crew of family and friends are trying to solve a murder that happened right under their noses.

A cute cozy mystery with a fun library theme.

First, I must confess this is the 4th book in the series but the first I have read. I think that might have put me at a disadvantage as I tried to keep all the characters and their relationships straight. In retrospect, I should have read the other three to start at the beginning.

So this starts off with a dead body in a house that’s being converted into a niche library containing classic mystery books. The dead man was a member of the small cast that was rehearsing for a dinner theater performance that was to be given during the town’s summer stroll event and held at the house. The amateur sleuths set to solve the crime are associated with the company engaged to do the conversion. Tempest, Ivy, Sanjay, Gideon, and others (including the requisite pet — a rabbit) try to track down the killer. It’s mainly a locked room scenario with the killer having to be someone in their intimate circle of friends and acquaintances.

This was a mix of Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo with the hook being the concept of secret staircases, hidden rooms, and libraries. Bibliophiles will enjoy all the literary references. I’ll likely go back at some point to check out the first book in the series just for fun.

I listened to the audio book while also following along in the ebook ARC, both provided by the publishers. I enjoyed the narrator as she used a variety of voices and accents to portray the characters. It always enhances a book when I can have this experience.

I had the privilege to listen to the audio version of Library Game. The reader Soneela Nankani is great. She does a great job of reading at an appropriate pace, so I can keep up with the story. She adds inflections thoughtfully. I also appreciated how she changed her voice for male characters. Overall, I would listen to her again.


I read this book thinking it was a single novel and as soon as I started it I realized it was part of a series. This is the fourth book in the series. I would say coming in without any knowledge of the previous books I felt like I was able to catch up with everything pretty quickly. The author does a great job of reminding you of what happened in the previous books. I hope to read the previous books this year.

The story was good too. The author writes a well thought out mystery and there was a few other mysteries going on as well. I like how there were multiple stories going on. I wasn't expected the end and may need to reread once I start the series from the beginning now that I know how it ended. I want to see what I missed. Overall. I am glad I found this series.

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator was great and expressive and the story was funny and exciting. I loved the murder mystery vibe and the humor mixed in to the scary. The book went by way too quick, I wish there was more and the story continued to explore the character. Definitely not my typical genre of book but I enjoyed it none the less

The Gray House Library has been newly renovated and is about to host a murder mystery dinner party and open a literary themed escape room. At the dress rehearsal for the murder mystery dinner, one of the actors dies and then the body vanishes. Tempest and her friends try to figure out what happened in this cozy mystery.

I didn't realize this was the fourth in a series when I picked it up, but it was relatively fine to read as a standalone. I liked the cozy vibes and the characters, especially Tempest's family, but overall the mystery element fell a bit flat. I did like the magician and literary themes throughout the book.

The audiobook was super well done, especially with the different accents. A solid quick listen.

Tropes:
* Amateur Detective
* Escape Room
* Locked Door
* Disappearing Body
* Twists and Turns
* Murder Mystery

3 stars

This is my very first Advance Reader Copy from Net Galley, and I had the chance to finish A Midnight Puzzle! If you love Agatha Christie, escape rooms, and murder mystery dinner parties, this book is definitely for you. I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook—it kept me guessing until the very end. Just when you think you’ve figured it out, think again! If you've read other books and series by Gigi Pandian, this is definitely an addition to those!

The Library Game is book 4 in the Secret Staircase Mystery series. I didn't realize that when I picked it up so I haven't read any of the other books in the series. There is some background provided but I think it was okay to read this book out of order.

It was a fun read. It is a little quirkier than most cozy mystery novels that I read. The characters are more quirky than you would find in real life but it wasn't so over the top that it was annoying. You know that what you are reading is fiction. In some ways, it made me think of all the holiday small-town movies.

I listened to the audiobook and it was easy to follow the story. Soneela Nankani does a great job giving the characters individual voices. I didn't have any trouble keeping the characters straight.

The mystery was good. I read a lot of cozy mysteries and often the plots feel similar - I mean how many different ways can you really kill someone. But this one felt unique - maybe it is because it involved magicians I don't think I've read any other cozy mysteries with magicians.

If you are looking for a fun book to listen to while getting household chores done, this is the book for you.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/03/can-you-solve-these-murder-mysteries.html

I listened to The Library Game by Gigi Pandian. This is the fourth book in the Secret Staircase Mysteries series, and it’s got all the ingredients for a fun, cozy mystery—secret passages, a disappearing body, and a murder mystery dinner that turns all too real. My son jumped in on listening to this audiobook with me. We were super invested in the murder mystery, escape room vibes in this room. My one thought is - could it have been a few chapters shorter. At the 60% point, I was ready for the murder mystery to be solved. The narration was great. Overall, The Library Game is perfect for fans of cozy mysteries and classic detective fictions. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this audio arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Tempest and crew are working on a new project with Secret Staircase Construction. This is a project dear to their hearts- a library!!! Tempest, Sanjay, Gideon and Ivy have taken it to the next step, they are doing an escape room for the Summer Stroll event in town. One of the actors ends up dead and Sanjay seems like the perfect culprit.

This was a great locked room mystery. I listened to the audio also and it was great. The narrator was fabulous. The descriptions were great and I was secretly coveting the sliding bookcases and endless books! This was the 4th in the book. The characters are coming along nicely. Grandpa Raj is always one of my favorites. I would love to be on the receiving end of one of his delectable creations.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC or this book.

This time Secret Staircase Construction has been renovating a home to turn it into a library full of detective stories. While preparing to host a murder mystery dinner and escape room to promote the new library, one of the actors appears dead midscene, only for the body to disappear shortly thereafter. It’s another locked room mystery for Tempest and the Abracadabras to solve.

It’s always fun to escape into these novels filled with magicians, misdirection, and plenty of nods to classic mysteries and detective fiction. I wasn’t sure how things would go with the large overarching series mystery already having been solved in book 3 but am happy to report that I still enjoyed my time with Tempest, her family, and friends.

As in the other books, the romantic in me loved the glimpses at potential romances for Tempest and the food descriptions had me salivating. I plan to try out the recipe for Blackberry Crumble Cobbler included in the book very soon.

The Secret Staircase Mysteries is such a lovely, cozy mystery series, and I look forward to reading what’s next for Tempest and her crew.

I enjoyed Soneela Nankani’s audiobook narration. Her vocal choices and accents make it easy to keep track of which character is speaking and she captures the tone, moods, and humor of the book well.

I received an advance copy from Macmillan Audio. All review opinions are my own.

These books are fun, but this one was maybe a bit confusing. There is a repetitive aspect to the crime and a lot of red herrings, but it all adds to the atmosphere in a good way. The characters are maturing a bit as well

Tempest’s family construction company takes on a dream project: transforming a house into a detective-themed library. When a murder occurs during a pre-opening event, Tempest must solve the crime before it impacts the library’s launch—and before someone else falls victim.

This book is a puzzle in novel format. The murder mystery is too elaborate to be believable, but it’s fun if that’s what you’re looking for. There’s not much of an emotional journey for the characters, who seem pretty interchangeable. I enjoyed the audiobook narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to “The Library Game” by Gigi Pandian. This cozy mystery was engaging from start to finish, with a plot twist that caught me off guard. The narrator, Soneela Nankani, did an excellent job of bringing the diverse cast of characters to life with distinct voices, making the audiobook experience even more enjoyable. The blend of mystery, whimsy, and cultural elements made for a delightful listen. I highly recommend it to fans of cozy mysteries.